Hyderabad: Security in the Old City area has been stepped up with deployment of additional forces including RAF in view of Friday prayers, though the situation was peaceful on Thursday after communal tensions in several areas over the past week.

Hyderabad police commissioner Anurag Sharma, who held peace committee meeting at Purani Haveli, said the committee played an important role in restoring normalcy.

"In view of Friday prayers, additional forces, including RAF and police from other districts, will be deployed near Mecca Masjid and other parts of Old City, and additional CCTV cameras will be installed in sensitive areas," he said.

Patrolling will be intensified and additional pickets will be set up, he said. Similarly, security will also be beefed up near Bhagyalakshmi temple abutting the historical Charminar, Sharma added.

Police so far have registered 18 cases in connection with November 11 violence in Old City and arrested 109 persons, besides taking into preventive custody Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) legislators, who were later released.

Sporadic incidents of violence had taken place in Old City after the MIM leaders were taken into preventive custody as they were marching towards Bhagyalakshmi temple to hold protests following the decision of the state government to allow covering of a shed over the temple with a tarpaulin sheet.